Democrats are questioning the timing, as Governor Scott Walker calls for a special session of the Legislature to take up a package of welfare reform bills. The Republican governor has scheduled stops around the state on Thursday to promote the Wisconsin Works for Everyone welfare reform legislation authored by Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senator Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield). “We want to take able bodied citizens who are able to work, and do everything we can to encourage them to go and fill those help wanted ads that we see everywhere in Wisconsin,” Vos said.

The proposals consists of ten separate pieces of legislation, including bills to place asset restrictions on eligibility for FoodShare, Wisconsin Works, and Wisconsin Shares, to require drug screening, testing, and treatment and employment screening of and employability plans for residents in public housing, and to require photo identification cards for FoodShare recipients.

Rep. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield)

“Unfortunately, there’s kind of a black market where people have utilized FoodShare cards, to trade them in for non-covered items or even in exchange for illicit items like drugs,” Vos said.

The announcement from Walker comes a day after an electoral setback for his party, as Democrat Patty Schactner won a special election in western Wisconsin’s 10th state Senate District. Walker on Wednesday called the loss of the seat a “wake-up call for Republicans.”

Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Martha Laning made note of the loss in a statement:

“Scott Walker is clearly scared by Republicans’ election loss this week. So today he’s grabbing for what self-serving career politicians always do–dividing people. He is lashing out at lower-income families down on their luck to please his wealthy elite donors. His crass, calculated political move to make Wisconsin hate again is a desperate tactic pitting Wisconsinites against one another — and it will fail.”

Sen. Jennifer Shilling (WRN image)

But, even with Schactner’s win, Republicans maintain their majorities in both chambers of the legislature, meaning that there’s little Democrats will be able to do, to impede passage of the legislative package.

“It’s interesting, the governor isn’t calling for a special session on sparsity aid for rural schools, he’s not calling a special session on closing Lincoln Hills, he’s not calling a special session on transportation funding,” said Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh). “I would say those issues are far more important to the state, but don’t seem to be an issue for this governor after an election where Republicans got creamed.”

“I think the governor seems a little unhinged right now, with his late night tweets after the election,” said Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse). “They are looking to energize their base.”

Kapenga though, said the proposals are the result of 18 months of work on the issue of helping people get into work, and he believes that if they are passed and implemented, it will help individuals on assistance as well as employers looking to fill positions. “That’s why we started this work 18 months ago, looking at what we can actually do here that will make this connection and be a win-win for everybody.” he said. “We want to incentivize getting people into a position.”

Rep. Gordon Hintz (WRN image)

Vos said Walker is “really putting a special focus on this, which is going to help Senator Kapenga move these bills through the spring session, to hopefully get them on his desk before the snow melts.”

Several of the bills, including those requiring drug testing for benefit eligibility, would also require waivers from the federal government before they could be implemented.

“Governor Walker is pushing this mistaken narrative that if someone needs help, then there is something wrong with his or her character,” said Senator Lena Taylor (D–Milwaukee). “This is about gutting services and punishing low-income children and families who made the mistake of being born into poverty.”

The iconic battery brand Rayovac has been sold to the company that made the Energizer bunny famous. Spectrum Brands announced on Tuesday that it will sell its battery and lighting businesses to Energizer Inc. for $2 billion in cash.

“We do realize that employees are anxious to learn what will only be happening to the battery business, but it’s just inappropriate and premature and unknown at this point,” said Spectrum Brands spokesperson Dave Prichard.

There are three principal Wisconsin locations scheduled to be sold in the deal:

Fennimore, which has 280 employees making AA and AAA batteries. Portage, which has 225 employees making batteries for hearing aid devices. Middleton World Headquarters, which has 195 employees working in research and development out of about 670 at that location

There also are some employees in Middleton who work in the North American HQ regional operations.

The deal isn’t expected to close until toward the end of the calendar year and any decisions on employees will be made by Energizer. Spectrum announced early in January that it was seeking a buyer for some of its divisions.

Rayovac has its origins with a battery company founded in Madison in 1906.

Sam’s Club locations in Madison and West Allis will be closing permanently at the end of the month, according to a Walmart spokesperson. The store’s were closed Thursday to tell employees about the impending closures.

“That’s not an easy conversation to have. Obviously, it’s an emotional conversation,” said Walmart spokesperson Anne Hatfield. “And we wanted to then give our associates the day off.”

The two stores two are among 63 stores that are closing nationwide. The Janesville Sam’s Club will remain open.

John Dipko, a spokesman with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, said they have reached out to regional workforce partners to make rapid response services available to affected workers.

“Our Division of Employment and Training is reaching out to regional workforce partners to coordinate job service assistance as appropriate,” Dipko said.

Ending the state’s “mining moratorium” was a top story for 2017. Wisconsin’s “prove it first” law on sulfide mines for metals like copper and gold was passed by the legislature 20 years ago with bipartisan support, including then-state Representative Scott Walker.

Times have changed. After the bill moved quickly through the legislative process, Governor Scott Walker signed it into law earlier this month. At a public hearing in Ladysmith, Democrats on the Assembly Labor Committee had concerns. “I see really important organizations that represent the diversity of our state, like our tribal leaders, not being engaged in the process,” said Representative David Bowen (D-Milwaukee).

Environmental groups contend sulfide mining poses risks to ground and surface waters. “The reason we’re so concerned is that according to the EPA, sulfide mining is the most toxic industry in America,” said Kerry Schuman, executive director of the League of Conservation Voters.

Senator Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst), said the bill’s authors have been up-front about the environmental impacts of mining. “We acknowledge that this is a very intrusive activity, and needs to be managed carefully. That’s why we do not diminish our environmental standards at all.”

Signing the bill into law in Rhinelander, Governor Walker was asked what’s changed, since he voted in favor of the moratorium. “Technology’s changed, and I think it’s much easier to be able to make sure that you have safe and environmentally sound mining, here in the state of Wisconsin.”

Mining proponents expect companies with an interest in looking for minerals to begin the process of prospecting in northern Wisconsin sometime fairly soon.

In Washington on Wednesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Janesville was effusive in his praise of President Donald Trump, in getting the Republican tax reform package done.

“Something this big, something this generational, something this profound could not have been done without exquisite presidential leadership,” Ryan said.

Congressional leaders joined the President for a “bill passage event” at the White House.

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson is optimistic about the Republican tax reforms. Johnson says the massive tax cut will spur growth, increase competitiveness of U.S. companies — and make tax filing easier. “I think all those things are good, but like anything made in a sausage factory, nothing’s particularly perfect,” Johnson said.

Democrats say the tax cuts unfairly benefit the wealthiest Americans and will explode the federal deficit. Senate Democrat Tammy Baldwin and all Democrats on the state’s House delegation voted against the $1.5 trillion package.

Wisconsin is now primed for mining. Signing the “Mining for America” bill in Rhinelander, Governor Scott Walker noted the historic role of the industry here. “We should be able to do safe, environmentally sound mining in state like Wisconsin that’s the Badger state,” Walker said. “And in doing so, it’s one more reason to keep students like the ones we saw here today, and others, in the state of Wisconsin.”

Walker voted to impose the so-called mining moratorium when he was in the state Assembly in 1998. That made it unfavorable for companies to prospect here, but Walker said that will change now. “There were even some here today that are interested,” he said.

“Our state has a rich mining history that predates our statehood, yet for the last twenty years the miner on our flag has been stuck in the unemployment line,” said state Senator Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) in a statement. “Today, Governor Walker put him back to work. With the signing of the Mining for America Act into law, a multi-billion industry has been invited to come back to northern Wisconsin.”

Kwik Trip will get up to $21-million in state income tax incentives, in exchange for jobs it creates in an expansion in La Crosse. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced on Wednesday that Kwik Trip plans to add more than 300 jobs in the La Crosse area through 2022, in a total expansion costing $300-million.

The tax breaks will hinge on the numbers of new jobs, the company’s total investment, and what it spends on goods and equipment from Wisconsin firms during the five-year period.

The expansion is in the north side industrial park in La Crosse, where Kwik Trip is currently building a facility to make fresh bread, buns, and bakery goods to be sold in its convenience stores.

The Oshkosh Corporation has announced that it will build its global headquarters in Oshkosh.

The company’s board of directors approved the decision. It will be built on the Lakeshore Municipal Golf Course site. The Oshkosh City Council voted to sell 35 acres for $3.5 million earlier this month.

The Fortune 500 company considered several locations outside of Wisconsin for its location before making the decision.

Wisconsin’s deal with Foxconn has been finalized. Governor Scott Walker and Terry Gou on Friday signed the contract between the state of Wisconsin and Gou’s multinational electronics firm, Foxconn, to build a massive plant in Racine County.

The Taiwanese electronics giant plans to build a $10-billion manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant. The contract is the result of a three billion dollar incentive package from the state to Foxconn. Foxconn would have to create 13,000 jobs to get the full incentive.

“We’re just getting started,” Walker said. “We’re going to take the world over when it comes to high tech tecnology like we’re going to build . . . right here in the state of Wisconsin.”

Wisconsin’s “prove it first” law on new sulfide mines in the state has moved a step closer to repeal. The Assembly voted 55-38 on Thursday to allow mining companies to apply for permits to mine for copper, gold, silver, and zinc, without having to prove that they’ve done it elsewhere in North America without causing long term damage to the environment.

Proponents of the legislation contend that mining is safer and cleaner now than it was in 1998 when the so-called moratorium passed the legislature and was signed into law by Republican Governor Tommy Thompson. Opponents say ending the moratorium will put the state’s surface and groundwater resources at risk.

Republican Representatives Travis Tranel, Jeff Mursau, Pat Snyder, and Todd Novak joined all Democrats in voting no — and the Assembly made some changes to try and appease senators who are said to remain skeptical. Among other things, no mining could take place where permits are being challenged — and it would be harder for companies to find loopholes to avoid paying taxes.